arapahoepark
Puritan Board Professor
I am wondering if there are any Puritan Cases of Conscience regarding the idea that one must do well in and not fail or sin for God to hear or even answer prayers.
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That one's prayers will be heard or answered based upon their performance as a Christian (i.e. more mortification or backslidings, etc.).I'm not understanding; can you elaborate?
On a different question Durham says the following (Durham uses a lot of 'case divinity' or addresses cases of conscience in his sermons):That one's prayers will be heard or answered based upon their performance as a Christian (i.e. more mortification or backslidings, etc.).
And to add, James says the prayers of a righteous man avails much.Make the distinction between believers/unbelievers, omniscience/particular;
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Pet 3:7
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. John 9:31
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Isa 59:2
Heb 12
If I am understanding you, rebellion would surely hinder one's prayers.
A follow up question: Then in what sense can anyone pray and expect to be heard since no one is righteous?
From personal experience, I know that sin affects our ability to pray or to pray as we ought. James tells us we ask and do not receive because we ask with wrong motives (Jas. 4:3). Part of that can be because, either our prayers are sinful or sin is influencing our prayers.You are righteous by faith in the mediator Christ, for he is our righteousness. But as other brothers have pointed out, our fellowship or relationship with God can be hindered by unconfessed sin (consider, in addition, Psalm 32:3-5). That is why, in part, Jesus teaches us to ask God to forgive us our sins and for us to forgive each other so that holy relationship is not interfered with or harmed.
The third sort of conditions are those, which are required after prayer; and they are specially two.
The first is a particular faith, whereby he that prayeth, must be assured that his paticular request shall be granted.
That one's prayers will be heard or answered based upon their performance as a Christian (i.e. more mortification or backslidings, etc.).
I do not think anyone above, or those being quoted, are implying prayer by works, if by that phrase you intend to mean we must do something to obtain merit that is rewarded, making God a debtor to us.So, salvation by grace but prayer by works? If prayer is based on Christian performance, there would be no point in praying at all because we constantly sin in thought, word, and deed.
Prayer is by grace, too. Believers are regarded, by God, as His children. And, even though His children sin, He still graciously hears and answers our prayers. We still have our responsibility and privilege to live our lives by following Christ, of course. But, a gracious Father listens to His children.
Exactly! How could we expect relief otherwise?! Going to the Lord with an eye toward not giving up certain sinful darlings may be one thing, but going to the Lord hating those [sinfully] beloved darlings and wanting them not to be darlings to us any longer is quite another! Who do we think puts such a desire in us to hate such things? Not our own hearts!She told me never never to give up on honest prayer to God -- even if what I had to confess was that I didn't want to pray and didn't want to obey. She said to just keep calling out to God for help with whatever my honest condition was.
At another time I did give up on prayer. I decided it wasn't a help. And a woman my family had met once briefly, and who lived in Canada called my house to speak to me and tell me never to give up on praying.
Never give up on praying, no matter how unworthy you feel or how impossible the problem seems. Even when the problem is sinful self. God is greater, and His grace is always free.